How Millennials Impact the Customer Service Experience

There’s no doubt about it—millennials have changed the world. Along with things like Facebook, Twitter, and “shopping local,” the Net Generation has also changed the way the world does business. Businesses are now more flexible with work schedules, as millennials have made working remotely a common, effective strategy. Young entrepreneurs have mastered the art of building a business with little to no startup costs. Additionally, millennials have had a substantial impact the customer service industry.

In this article, we’ll discuss how millennials expect different things from customer service initiatives than previous generations and how you can provide excellent customer service to meet their wants and needs. 

Millennials are Hungry for Connections with Real People

Despite their seemingly endless connection with digital devices, this hasn’t extinguished millennials’ need for personal interaction and desire for human experiences. This has been a hard line for retailers to walk, as millennials have excessively integrated digital apps into consumerism. However, studies show that these individuals prefer to engage in the same traditional human interactions as the generations before them did and continue to do, especially when they need a problem resolved.

millennials on phones roi customer service

While call centers may not provide face-to-face human interaction, there are several measures you can take to bring human elements back into your call center solutions. Ensuring your agents check in with the customers to ensure their issues are resolved, for example, is a great way bring personal elements into the call center interaction. Furthermore, make sure your call agents are operating in the warmest, friendliest way possible when connecting with millennials.

Around the Clock Availability

Thanks to the overwhelming prevalence of the social media culture, millennial consumers don’t just want a quick response from companies—they demand it. With worldwide connectivity in the palms of their hands, this generation expects a quick response from all of the businesses they interact with, no matter the time or day.

For companies with in-house customer service departments, being available 24/7 is virtually impossible. However, around the clock availability is critical in maintaining good rapport with your customers. This is one of the biggest perks of outsourcing your call center needs. Not only are these trained professionals able to address problems as soon as they arise, but they also help to add transparency to your customer service initiatives.

They Expect Customization

Past generations have preferred a one-size-fits-all solution to customer service. Today, however, these expectations have changed. Millennials expect the businesses they interact with to be ready with the customized experiences they need. The best way to provide customers with customized experiences is to thoroughly know your audience and their various expectations in customer service. Start with determining how they prefer to be contacted, how quickly they expect results, and what makes them more likely to offer the type of feedback that will help you fine-tune and further customize your experiences.

Furthermore, millennials have been raised in a world where their preferences and needs are instantly recognized and catered to. As a brand, you must make a big effort to understand the needs of your millennial customers. Being out of step with the expected experiences of your customers can be quite damaging your brand. At a bare minimum, ensure you’re eliminating long hold times, back-to-back transfers, and inconsiderate or inadequate help, as these are the quickest ways to disconnect with millennials.

They Desire to Prove Their Loyalty  

Millennials are more ready than ever to be loyal customers. Not surprisingly, more than half of today’s millennial consumers gauge their probability of becoming loyal customers on the type of experience they receive. The best way to gain loyal customers is to go above and beyond to create a positive experience. This can be done by:

  • Having top-notch response times
  • Steer clear of easily-made mistakes like calling a customer by the wrong name, calling the wrong number, or making billing mix-ups
  • Be attentive and alert in listening to what your customers are saying
  • Make follow-up a priority

Customer Service for a New Generation

As millennials continue to grow up, their impact on business will only get bigger. But if you meet them with personalized, attentive customer service, millennials will reward you ten-fold.

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